Looking at this weak, pitiful, and helpless fledgling,
a rare trace of guilt arose in Jiang Yuechu's heart.
"Ahem..."
She cleared her throat. "Since the person has been saved, it's time to do some proper business."
Running Ox was stunned. "Your Highness, what other business is there?"
Jiang Yuechu looked at him as if looking at an idiot.
"Wuxiang Mountain is at least one of the Twenty-Five Lineages. Standing in the Eastern Region for so many years, it must have some family assets, right?"
She extended a slender finger and pointed at the massive ruined basin beneath her feet.
"That old thing fled in a hurry, and Wuxiang Mountain was smashed by my punch. There must be many good things buried under these ruins."
On this trip out, she had suffered a massive loss in Dao Cultivation.
It just so happens that the Great Tang has a thin foundation... For a Dao Lineage's ruins like this, if I don't dig three feet deep and scrape off a layer, I'd truly be letting down the over two million years of Dao Cultivation I squandered.
"Go, overturn these ruins for me."
Jiang Yuechu ordered, "As long as it has a bit of Spiritual Qi, even if it's a broken brick, dig it out for me."
Hearing this, Running Ox hurriedly and carefully placed the bald eldest sister on the ground.
He revealed his original form.
His massive demon body rampaged through the ruins, his thick hooves kicking up clouds of soil.
Tiger Cuihua was not to be outdone, fearing that if he appeared worthless, he would be casually wiped out by this Jinx.
He quickly transformed into a magnificent tiger, sticking up his rear and sniffing frantically through the piles of rubble.
Jiang Yuechu found a clean boulder and sat down.
Her black hem fluttered gently in the wind.
She rested her chin on one hand, quietly watching the two energetic demons, but her thoughts drifted far away.
Wuxiang Mountain had been leveled.
Once this news spread, the entire Eastern Region would likely be shaken.
But this was exactly what she wanted.
Throwing one punch to prevent a hundred from coming.
If she didn't beat these self-important old things until it hurt and they were afraid, the Great Tang would never know peace.
Now, if this matter were to spread,
if the other Dao Lineages still wanted to retaliate against the Great Tang... they would certainly have to weigh their options again.
And this time spent weighing options was exactly what she needed most.
As long as she was given some more time for stable development...
By then,
even if she had to face all Twenty-Five Lineages at once, she would no longer have anything to fear.
As for that escaped Wuxiang The Main Seat, who knows which mouse hole he hid the central palace in.
But it didn't matter.
Since they were now mortal enemies, as long as he dared to show his face, Jiangjiang's iron fist would be waiting.
The top priority now was to scavenge all the resources of Wuxiang Mountain and bring them back to the Great Tang.
With these resources, the Great Tang's foundation would surely experience a qualitative leap.
Time passed bit by bit.
In the ruins, Running Ox and Tiger Cuihua's harvest was quite bountiful.
Wuxiang Mountain's foundation was indeed deep; even though it had been smashed to pieces by Jiang Yuechu's punch, many treasury remains protected by special Formations still survived.
Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, Materials, and Cultivation Techniques were piled into a small mountain.
"Well done."
Jiang Yuechu gave a rare word of praise.
Tiger Cuihua instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
It looked like his life was probably saved...
Just as Running Ox put the eldest sister into his bosom, the bald chick poked its head out.
After some time to recover, Ni Chang seemed to have finally sorted out the current situation.
Although it was hard to accept that she had ended up in this state, looking at the simple-minded black ox before her and the stunningly beautiful girl who resembled a bandit leader,
a strange sense of security actually arose in her heart.
"Cheep cheep..."
She tried hard to express her gratitude, but what came out was still a comical bird chirp.
Jiang Yuechu glanced at her and said indifferently, "Alright, stop chirping. Go back and eat more bugs, and try to grow your feathers back soon."
Ni Chang: "..."
Why would this Empress eat bugs?!
Do you really take this Empress for a chick?!
Unfortunately, her current protest had no deterrent power, so she could only huffily retreat into Running Ox's bosom.
The sun set behind the western mountains.
The red rain had long since stopped.
The ruins of Wuxiang Mountain had been completely overturned.
With a wave of her sleeve, Jiang Yuechu collected all the mountain-like loot into her storage space.
She stood up and patted the corners of her clothes.
"Let's go."
Running Ox and Tiger Cuihua quickly followed.
"Your Highness, are we going back to Chang'an?" Running Ox asked.
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly.
Having been out for so long... it was time to go back and take a look.
First, she went to Lingshan to stock up, then she recruited over eight hundred Alchemy laborers from the Pill Cauldron Sect.
Now, she had even emptied the treasury of Wuxiang Mountain, a Dao Lineage that had been passed down for untold ages, by digging three feet deep.
The Great Tang has a thin foundation?
That was before.
Once this mountain of Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, and Cultivation Techniques is transported back, even a pig could be smashed into an Immortal Dynasty with these resources.
Hearing this,
Running Ox's gaze inadvertently fell on the submissive magnificent tiger beside him.
The black ox smacked his lips, a strange sense of jealousy rising in his heart.
He leaned closer to Jiang Yuechu and whispered, "Your Highness, it's naturally great for us to go back, but this little demon..."
As he spoke, his thick ox hoof pointed unceremoniously at Tiger Cuihua.
"He's from Lingshan, so he's bound to be a scourge. Why don't I, Old Ox, show some mercy and send him on his way with one hoof?"
As soon as these words were spoken,
Tiger Cuihua's tiger fur instantly stood on end.
He suddenly looked up, his tiger eyes wide, staring in disbelief at the burly black ox.
What the hell?
I was just digging holes and unearthing treasures with you, tired as a dog. Even if there's no merit, there's at least the hard work!
You black fellow, how can you turn your back on me so quickly and kill the tiger once the work is done?!
But Running Ox had his own considerations.
Originally, only he and that Old Scarlet Flood Dragon were by Her Highness's side.
The Old Scarlet Flood Dragon only had a cultivation in the Mountain Gazing Realm, pitifully weak.
But he happened to have a silver tongue, smooth-talking and naturally gifted at flattery, deeply winning Her Highness's favor.
What about him, Running Ox?
He was clumsy with words and often at a loss for them.
Every time he wanted to show his loyalty, he just repeated those few lines like "Your Highness's Divine Might is peerless."
Even he himself felt it was dry.
Now, a tiger demon had appeared halfway.
This tiger was not only flexible but also full of knowledge, with a vocabulary for every situation, analyzing the state of affairs with great logic.
If he were brought back to Chang'an and paired with the Old Scarlet Flood Dragon, how intense would the competition be?
With the Old Scarlet Flood Dragon and this tiger for civil matters, and Her Highness herself for martial ones,
what would be left for him, Running Ox?
He really would only be able to plow the fields every day!
No, he absolutely could not let this scourge come back with them!
How could Tiger Cuihua know the twists and turns in this black ox's mind?
He only knew that his hard-won life was about to be at risk again.
With a thud,
the magnificent tiger knelt on both knees with extreme proficiency. "Senior... no! Your Highness! Please see clearly!"
"Your Highness, this little demon is useful! I'm really useful!"
"This little demon has read thoroughly the 'Eastern Region Travelogue' and 'Dao Lineage Unofficial Histories,' and knows many unknown secrets of the Cultivation World! I can even be a source of amusement for Your Highness—I can tell stories, sing songs, I can..."
"Shut up already!" Running Ox glared with his ox eyes and kicked the tiger demon's rear. "Her Highness doesn't need a sycophantic waste like you! What do you think the Great Tang is? Can any random cat or dog just enter?"
"Besides, you're a demon from Lingshan with your ferocity still intact. Who knows how many people you've eaten in secret? If we take you back to Chang'an and you suddenly go on a rampage and hurt the people, I, Running Ox, will be the first to not let you off!"
At the mention of eating people,
Tiger Cuihua looked as if he had suffered a great injustice. "I've been wronged! Your Highness, I'm more wronged than Dou E! Ever since I can remember, I've resolved to be a good demon who has transcended low-level interests!"
"This little demon is a vegetarian! Really! If I get really hungry, at most I'll go to the back mountain and gnaw on some wild boars or deer, swallowing them fur and all, but I've absolutely never touched a single finger of the Human Race!"
Looking at this massive tiger crying like a fool,
Jiang Yuechu rubbed her brow with a slight headache.
"Enough, stop howling."
Her cold voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the two demons.
Tiger Cuihua obediently shut his mouth, only daring to peek out of the corner of his eye.
Running Ox was secretly pleased.
Her Highness must be fed up with this tiger and is about to order his execution.
Jiang Yuechu's gaze fell on Tiger Cuihua, sizing him up.
This tiger demon's strength was indeed lackluster; he hadn't even touched the Denglou Realm. At best, he was just a larger piece of cannon fodder.
But the knowledge in his head was genuine.
Although the Great Tang doesn't lack military force now, its understanding of the entire Eastern Region's Cultivation World is still a blank slate.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.
Having a living information database nearby who is familiar with the ways of the Dao Lineages and knows various gossip and secrets could save a lot of trouble.
"What is your name?"
"Replying to Your Highness, this little demon's... humble name is Tiger Cuihua."